Let us consider for a moment the duality of Monster Hunter.

And that’s just the basic stuff.

ButMonster Hunter Wildsgoes even further.

A hunter rides a Seikret in Monster Hunter Wilds.

That’s not to say Wilds is an open-world Monster Hunter, though.

Eventually, biomes grow even more frenetic as Wilds piles on rarer monsters, more exotic combinations.

Even the corpses seemingly rot over time!

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That’s not to say Wilds is completely without structure.

All this would be a bit unbearable, frankly, if the fighting wasn’t so exhilarating.

Starting with those monsters, Wilds' varied menagerie is a triumph.

A group of hunters ride Seikrets through a dense jungle scene in Monster Hunter Wilds.

On the whole, though, its creature design rarely stumbles.

There have been smart refinements to combat, too.

But it still offers a wonderfully varied toolset for those eager to explore.

A hunter rides through a herd of monsters in a sandstorm in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A copy of Monster Hunter Wilds was provided for review by publisher Capcom.

A hunter encounters the flying Hirabami monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A hunter attacks the foot of the Rey Dau monster on a sand dune in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A hunter wades through sludge fighting a Rompopolo monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A group of hunters stand before a large monster with fleshy wings in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A hunter rides a Seikret across a sandy desert in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A hunter crests tall sand dunes on a Seikret in Monster Hunter Wilds.

A hunter surveys a lush desert landscape in Monster Hunter Wilds.